Guru Angad Dev Ji

After Guru Nanak left this world, Guru Angad sat in a room locked from outside near a place called Khadur, and meditated on God without any distraction or interruption. He did not eat or drink anything except a pot of milk daily. About six months passed and the Sikhs came to meet the Guru, after the request of the Sikhs, Guru Angad came forth from his seclusion. When the Guru came out, crowds went to see him and presented their offerings. Everything the Guru received, he passed it on to the Langar. There were continuous preaching, singing of hymns and repetition of the Name of God.

Baba Amar Das heard a divine melody, which thrilled his heart, and he stood spell-bound listening to the hymn. This was voice of Bibi Amro, Guru Angad's daughter, who was recently married to Baba Amar Das’s nephew. Baba Amar Das was spirituality touched and asked her about the origin of the hymn. Bibi Amro said that the hymn was composed by Guru Nanak, which she learned from Guru Angad Dev Ji. After hearing the hymn Baba Amar Das wanted to meet the Guru. After some days he accompanied Bibi Amro to visit the Guru in Khadur. When Baba Amar Das arrived, the Guru on account of his relationship, wanted to embrace Baba Amar Das and receive him respectfully, but Baba Amar Das fell on the feet of the Guru and said, "Thou art as God and I am only a worm." Baba Amar Das was so much overwhelmed by Guru's sight that it was unbearable for him to leave his presence. The love for the Master sprang so deep and intense in his heart that he wanted to serve him in every possible way.

Baba Amar Das was living in Goindwal and his daily routine was to rise very early in the morning, take a pitcher of water from the river Beas and proceed to Khadur, which was about three miles away. The pitcher of water was for Guru Angad to bathe with. On the way he would recite Guru Nanak’s hymns. During the day he would learn Gurbani from Guru Angad. In the evening he would attend Kirtan (singing of hymns in the holy congregation). After putting the Guru to rest, he would return walking to Goindwal backwards in supreme reverence to the Guru.

There lived a monk known as Tapa in Khadur. He was worshipped by some of the local villagers. Tapa was jealous of Guru Angad and contended reverence shown to Guru by the people. He wanted to be considered as great as the Guru, so he looked forward for an opportunity to disgrace the Guru and earn some recognition for himself. One year there were no monsoons and as a result there was a drought in the land. Tapa started telling people that the drought was due to the presence of Guru Angad in the town. He said, “If you expel the Guru, I will bring rain within twenty-four hours." Some people then started asking Guru Angad to leave the town. Ultimately the Guru left the town and went seven villages away from Khadur where Tapa had no influence.

When Baba Amar Das arrived in Khadur next morning, he found the Guru's house empty. On inquiry the people narrated the whole story to Baba Amar Das. In the meantime Tapa failed to bring any rain. Upon this Baba Amar Das told people what a tyranny they have committed. They expelled the true Guru and followed a fake monk Tapa. The people began to realize their blunder. They went to Guru Angad and asked him to come back to the town. After several apologies, Guru agreed to come back. The day Guru Angad set foot in the town it rained heavily.

One night, it rained all night, cold winds blew and lightning flashed. Baba Amar Das brought a pitcher of water from river Beas for the Guru. While he was coming to the Guru's house, he struck against a wooden peg, which a weaver had driven into the ground, and he fell into the pit. It was a weavers' colony and when they heard the sound of his fall, one of the weavers' wife said, "Who could it be at this early hour? It must be that homeless Baba Amar who sleeps not, who knows no rest and who does not get tired. He is ever bringing water from the river and firewood from the forest; to serve the Guru!" Guru Angad Das was a very spiritual person and could read anyone’s mind. The Guru heard the words of the weaver’s wife and was deeply moved. He embraced Baba Amar Das who was seventy-three years old then and said, "My Amar Das, he will be the home of the homeless, the honor of the unhonored, the strength of the strengthless, the support of the supportless, the emancipator of the captive." As instructed by God, Guru Angad offered his seat to Baba Amar Das, put five paise and a coconut before him, and bowed to him in token of his succession and thus passed on the Divine Light to Baba Amar Das and declared him Guru Amar Das.

Thus God created a third Nanak. “Divine Light is the same. Way and Mode are the same. The Master has only changed the body.” (Guru Granth Sahib, 966).

Guru Angad Dev Ji directed Guru Amar Das Ji to live in Goindwal and left this world on March 29, 1552.